Multiple printing machine for cinematographic films



Oct. 27, 1936. A. 1.. v. c. DEBRIE 7 2,053,777

MULTIPLE PRINTING MACHINE FDR CINEMATOGRAPHIC FILMS Filed NOV. 14, 1934 I 5 Sheets-Sheet l 1936- A. L. v. c. DEBRIE 2,053,777

MULTIPLE PRINTING MACHINE FOR CINEMATOGRAPHIC FILMS Filed Nov. 14, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct.27,1936. A v. DEBR,E 2,058,777

MULTIPLE PRINTING MACHINE FOR CINEMATOGRAPHIC FILMS Filed Nov. 14, 1934 5 Sheets- Sheet 3 Oct. 27, 1936. A. L. v. c. DEBRIE 2,053,777

MULTIPLE PRINTING MACHINE FOR CINEMATOGRAPHIC FILMS Filed Nov. 14, 1934 5 She ts-Sheet 4 JAM/flou 1 7. flame 1936- A. L. v. c. DEERIE I 2,

MULTIPLE PRINTING MACHINE FOR CINEMATOGRAPHIC FILMS Filed Nov. 14, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 rq Q g m 'R \&

Patented oer. 27, 1936 PATENT OFFICE MULTIPLE rnm'rmo MAcmNE Fort cmnnarocanrmc FILMS Andre Leon Victor Clement Debrie, Paris, France Application November 14, 1934, Serial No. 753,051 In France November 17, 1933 7 Claims. (cl. 8824) It is often necessary, in particular for films giving out the latest news, to produce in a very short time a number of positives which may be considerable from a single negative. Now in the 5 printing machines used nowadays and operating either through contact or through projection, the printing of each single positive requires the passage of a negative through a printing system comprising a source of light, one or more printing l apertures (according as to whether the pictures,

My invention has for its object a printing system allowing the simultaneous printing of several positive film's from any negative film whether a picture, a sound-or a. combined picture and sound film, the negative film being caused to pass only 25 once through the'system. To this end, I have provided a certain number of optic devices each of which projects simultaneously with the others an element of the negative film on to one of a series of positive films the number of which is 30 equal to that of the. optic devices.

In the case where the negative film moves in the usual manner over a cylindrical drum along the axis of which is the source of light, the optic devices'may be arranged radially with reference 35 to the drum so as to simultaneously project successive elements of the negative film on to the corresponding positive films. I may with a view to separating from one another the elements which are being simultaneously projected, use a 40 seriesof apertures or slots provided at the periphery of the drum in the radial planes containing the optic devices; or else I may use instead sounds and the pictures which have been re-.

points of its length the simultaneous projection of elements from the difierent negatives.

(17) Or else the optic devices may be designed so that each positive film receives at the same point of its length the simultaneous projection of the elements from the different negatives,

In order to allow the common control of these positive films by keying their driving drums on a common shaft, I may also insert in the path of the light beams deflecting systems such as a prism assembly through which the rays projected radially are transmitted in parallelism to each other on to the different positive films.

Chiefiy in those cases where the parallel progress of the beams is to end on positive films unwinding all in a given direction, oblique or perpendicular with reference to the unwinding of 1 the negative film, it is of advantage to arrange, in the path of the light beams and preferably between two elements of the object-glass where the beams are constituted by parallel rays, Wollaston prisms the angular setting of which is )such as will cause the images to pivot in their plane throughan angle corresponding to that of the direction of unwinding of the positive films with reference to the unwinding of the negative.

I have described hereinbelow by way of example and shown in diagrammatical accompanying drawings two forms of execution of a machine designed according to my invention.

Fig. 1 is a general diagrammatical plan view of the first form of execution.

Fig. 2 is an outer view of the drum used therewith.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the drum through one of the slots thereof.

Figs. 4 and 5 arerespectively diagrammatical side and plan views of another form of execution of the machine.

Fig. 6 shows one of the prism assemblies of 40 Figs. 4 and 5 adapted to transmitthe radial light beams from the source as parallel beams.

Fig. 7 shows diagrammatically an arrangement similar to that of Figs. band 5, but improved through the insertion of a Wollaston prism between two elements of the object-glass.

Fig. 8 shows after rotation through the system of optic elements through which the central 'beam of the device shown in Fig. 7 passes.

given beam and shown respectively in transversal and longitudinal cross-section.

The negative film I (Fig. i) passing out of the feed reel 2 and moving towards the take-up reel' 3 passes over a roller 4 adapted to make the progress more regular and thence through an incurved channel at the surface of the cylindrical drum 5 along the axis of which the incadescent filament 6 of the lamp 1 lies. The negative film passes then over another roller I also adapted to make the progress more regular, before arriving on to the take-up reel.

The drum 5 is provided with a series of slots or apertures 9, 9 (five in the example shown) arranged along generatrices. In the difierent radial planes defined by the source 5 and the apertures 9, 9' are'arranged the optic devices H, H said .devices being disposed along a circle the centre of which is on the filament 5; the drums l2, l2 driving the positive films l3, l3 are arranged on an outer circle concentric with the circle of the optic devices.

I may also, instead of providing a series of parallel slots 9, 9 on the drum 5, provide on said drum a single common aperture occupying the whole space occupied in the former case by the slots and the intervals between the slots. I ,would in this case place in front oi the positive films screens with suitable slots such as that shown in dotted lines at It on the drawings.

Obviously it is possible to make any type of negative pass overthe drum '5, such as a negative carrying both sounds and pictures or a negative carrying only pictures or again a negative carrying only sounds.

In those cases where it is desired to multiply as disclosed hereinabove in a single machine the above-described elementary apparatuses, it is generally of advantage to arrange these apparatuses with a common axial source 5, said apparatuses being superposed or set side by side.

In Fig. 4 as in Fig. 1, a source of light 25 is arranged along the axis of a cylindrical drum 25 providedwith apertures 29, 25. Over the drum the negative film not shown is adapted to pass. The radial beams issuing from the source 25 are collected by the object glasses 3l--5l'.

The positive films 33 struck by the beams (Fig. 5) are fed from the reels "and are wound again over the take-up reels 35 after passing over the rollers such as 31 or 51 on which the impression'takes place. The rollers 51, 51 for the difierent positives are keyed to a common shaft 38. Between the object-glass 3| and the corresponding roller '31, each beam passes through a set of three prisms 39, 40, ll. These sets of prisms act so as to deflect the beams impinging on the difierent positives and to render them parallel to one another, a horizontal line on the negative film being transmitted vertically onto the diiierent superposedpositive rollers", 31' Obviously the different sets of prisms are not of identical design as the rays impinging on them. from different directions are to all pass out of them along parallel directions.

By way of example I have shown in Fig. 5 machine with two similar juxtaposed apparatuses having each a drum 2!! or 25' receiving respectively the picture negative and the sound negative, both negatives being printed on a common positive film 33. This arrangement is of course only given by way of example'and any other arrangement could be used as disclosed hereinabove.

In the arrangement shown in Figs. '[to 11, I make use, as in the precedent case, of a shaft 55- perpendicular to the axis of the drum 25 of the negative N, said shaft 55 carrying the rollers 51 over which pass the films to be impressed. As in the precedent case, simple or compound catoptric means such as mirrors or total reflection prisms shown at 45, 40, I are disposed in the path of the light beams with a view to bringing them into parallelism. In the example shown these beams are rought thus into parallelism with the common perpendicular to the axis of the drum I5 and of the shaft 38. At the same time these prisms reverse the image catoptrically so that the object-glass acting also catoptrically returns it into its original upright position.

The new feature of the arrangement of Figs. 7 to 11 resides in the use, of Wollaston prisms adapted to make the image rotate in its plane through the desired angle, 90 in the present case. In order to prevent any aberration, these prisms are disposed in that part of the path of the corresponding beam where the latter is constituted by parallel ray beams. In themachine-illustrated, I use to this end an object-glass constituted by elements ll and SI arranged on either side of the Wollaston prism W and forming with the latter a unitary optic device. The elements Ii and 5 I being opposed have their foci respectively on the printing surface at the periphery of the roller 31 and on the picture to be reproduced at to rotate through 90. -This angle naturally varies with the angle of rotation of the image which latter angle is, in a general manner, equal to the angle between the direction of unwindin of the corresponding positive film. and that of the unwinding of the negative.

Each prism such as 40 may of course be replaced by any odd number of prisms. In particular for the central beam directed along the axis KY, I use a prism arrangement which reverses the picture without displacing it. To this end, there is provided (Fig. 8) for this central beam, an arrangement 40" of three prisms allowing this result to be achieved.

All the optic elements, total reflection prisms, object-glass elements and Wollaston prisms are carried by a plate ll (Fig. 9) with the necessary adjusting means. This plate shows in front of the lamp a recessed part I2 adapted to receive the collar 13 on the drum 25 of the lamp, which allows the exact positioning of the plate II with reference to the lamp 14.

The optic elements form a plurality of separate unitary blocks 15-'I5--'| I--1I19 comprising each of Wollaston prism and the object-glass elements; the spacing of these blocks which corresponds of course to the spacing of the drums ll, 31 may be adjusted through the screws l5, l3 which are screwed, without any possible translational movement with reference to the plate I l'in the sliding'guides bars 85, 55 integral with the different optic blocks. Elongated apertures 55, 85' are provided in the latter so as 'to allow their securing through the usual set'screws in the desired position. Prisms 40', Ml are disposed for deflecting purposes to the rear of the optic blocks. They are carried by supports 98 rotating round points 99. The control of their pivotal motion is performed for adjusting purposes through eccentrics such as IM passing through elongated apertures such as I00. Auxiliary arcuate apertures serve for guiding the supports during their pivotal motion. Rectilinear apertures IIII serve for tranwerse adjustment, which latter is the sole adjustment required for the central prism arrangement 40''.

Figs. 10 and 11 allow an easy understanding of the adjusting means used for the Wollaston prism and the object-glass elements.

Each object-glass element such as 3| or 31 is integral with a socket 8.1 sliding in the tube 88 integral with the plate ll under the action of the ring 89 provided with a helical slot 90 engaged bya projection 93 carried by the objectglass element. It is sufficient to make the threaded spindle'32 meshing with the toothwork 3| of the ring rotate for displacing longitudinally the object-glass element which is prevented from rotating through any suitable means. The adjusting means are similar for each object glass element of each optic block. To allow the rotation of the Wollaston prism which ensures the desired rotation of the image, each prism is housed in an axial perforation of a cylinder 94 (Fig. 10). This cylinder shows a toothwork 95 meshing with a threaded spindle 96. When the square ending this spindle is caused to rotate, the prism W- rotates in its turn while it is 'held against axial displacement through the projection 91 (Fig. 11). The diflerent prisms W are all adjusted independently in the same manner.

It will be noticed that no special lateral limitation is required for the different light beams as the beams passing out of the lamp define the illuminated area on each roller 31. Moreover in order to prevent the repetition of the image through reflection of the filament on the inner wall of the lamp, it is of advantage to grind said inner wall on the side which does not face the optic devices.

Obviously in the above description, the terms positive and negative have only a relative value and I may use the printing apparatus or apparatuses just as well for obtaining several negatives from one positive.

What I claim is:

1. A multiple projection film printing machine comprising a number of projecting lamps, at least three optic devices arranged radially round each lamp, a small apertured cylindrical drum surrounding each lamp and to one side thereof, the total apertured area in each drum not exceeding 90, means for making a negative move over each drum} at least three printing surfaces remote from the corresponding drums adapted to receive the light projected by the corresponding lamp through the optic devices and means for making each of at least threeunimpressed sensitized films pass in succession in -front of la printing surface corresponding to each of the lamps.

2". A multiple" projection film printing machine comprisinga common projecting lamp, at least three optic devices arranged radially the lamp and to one side thereof,-a small apertured cylindrical drum surrounding the lamp, the total apertured area thereof not exceeding 90, means for making the film to be reproduced move over said drum and in contact therewith, at least three printing surfaces remote from the drum arranged beyond the corresponding optic devices, means for making unimpressed sensitized films pass each immediately in front of a different pressed sensitized films pass each in front of a different printing surface, a common rotary shaft carryinggcoaxially the different printing surfaces, a plurality of optic devices arranged round the lamp and including a Wollaston prism Y adapted to make the image rotate through an angle equal to that of the shaft with reference to the axis of the drum and optic deflecting means interposed in the path of the beams passing through said optic devices for causing the beams to impinge on said printing surfaces.

4. A multiple projection printing machine comprising a' common projecting lamp, a small aper-- tured cylindrical drum surrounding the lamp, means formaking the film to be reproduced move over said drum, a plurality of printing surfaces remote from the drum, means for making unimpressed sensitized films pass each in front of a different printing surface, a common rotary shaft carrying coaxially the different printing surfaces,

a plurality of optic devices arranged round the lamp and including two object glass elements adapted respectively to transformthe corresponding beam into a parallel ray beam and to focus the latter on the corresponding printing surface and a Wollaston prism between said elements adapted to make the image rotate through an angle equal to that of the direction of the shaft with reference to the axis of the drum and optic deflecting means interposed in the path of the beam passing through said optic devices for causing the beams to impinge on said printing surfaces.

5. A multiple projecting printing machine comprising a common projecting lamp, a small apertured cylindrical drum surrounding the lamp, means for making the fihn to be reproduced move over said drum, a plurality of printing surfaces remote from the drum, means for making unimpressedsensitized films pass each in front of a different printing surface, a common rotary shaft carrying coaxially the different printing surfaces, a. plurality of optic devices arranged round the lamp and including a Wollaston prism adapted to make the image rotate through an angle equal to that of the shaft with reference to the axis of the drum, optic deflecting means interposed in the path of the beams passing through said'optic devices for causing them to impinge on said printing surfaces, and a plate carrying all' said optic devices and optic deflecting means and abutting against the front of the cylindrical drum. I

6; A multiple projecting printing machine comprising a common projecting lamp, a small apertured cylindrical drum surrounding the lamp, means for making .the film to be reproduced move over said drum, a plurality of printing surfaces remote from the drum, means for making unimpressed sensitized'films pass each in front of a a plurality of optic devices arranged round the iampand including a Wollaston prism adapted to make the image rotate through an angle equal to that of the shaft with reference to the axis of the drum, optic deflecting means interposed in the path of the beams passing through said optic devices for causing them to impinge on said printing surfaces, a plate carrying all said optic devica and optic deflecting means and abutting against the front of the cylindrical drum, means carried by the plate for adjusting separately the relative spacing of the different optic devices and separate means carried by the plate for adjusting the angular and transversal position of the optic deflecting means.

7. A multiple projection printing machine comprising a common projecting lamp, a small apertured cylindrical drum surrounding the lamp, means for making the fllm to be reproduced move over said drum, a plurality of printing surfaces remote from the drum, means for making unimpressed sensitized fllms pass each in front spasm? elements adapted respectively tovtransform the 5 corresponding beam into a parallel ray beam and to focus the latter on the corresponding printing surface and a Wollaston prism between said elements adapted to make the image rotate through an angle equal to that of the direction of the shaft with reference to the axis of the drum, optic deflecting means interposed in the path of the beam passing through said optic devices for causing the beams to impinge on said printing surfaces, a plate'carrying all said optic devices 15 and optic deflecting means and abutting against the front of the cylindrical drum, separate means for adjusting the angular position of each Wollaston prism and separate means for adjusting the longitudinal position of each object glass elego ment. ANDRE LEON vrc'roa CLEMENT DEBRIE. 

